


All That Drama

by Tamasha



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drama, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Modern Era, Monologue, Relationship(s), Romance, School, Short One Shot, Slice of Life, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-15 03:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7205054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamasha/pseuds/Tamasha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin sucks at acting. Arthur fucking Pendragon is good at everything. They took drama class together because it would be easy. Turns out it’s easy for Arthur and Merlin is rubbish at it. Today they have to read monologues that they were supposed to write. Supposed to. Only, Merlin didn’t write one, so he takes a journal page thinking it could only hold innocent content. That was a mistake. And when Cenred steps in to read the rest… well, Merlin just really hates the theatre.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All That Drama

**Author's Note:**

> written by Tamara

Merlin was running late. As usual. His bus was on time, but apparently Merlin’s watch had stopped at exactly 5 minutes after 8 last night because Merlin’s watch was 5 minutes off and exactly 5 minutes late to catch the bus. So on top of walking to school, Merlin had worn the wrong socks which meant his feet were killing him by the time he got to the CFA. The Center for the Fine Arts was a new building on campus so it had to, for some reason, be placed as far away from the school as possible, and on the opposite side from where Merlin was coming from.

Finally in class, now 20 minutes late, Merlin realized with a sinking dread that he had forgotten to write a monologue for class. Mr. Kilgharrah had assigned them a project a week ago, and Merlin, of course, had put it off. It wasn’t that Merlin was a bad student, he just hated acting. He wasn’t very good and was only in the beginning class because he refused to take an art class in school. Merlin was good at painting, he could paint the hell out of anything, but he would not do it in front of his peers. They laughed at him enough, making fun of his chronic tardiness and his always mismatched clothes - no matter how hard he tried to match he apparently was terrible at it. Merlin would not give the other students more reason to laugh at him.

Drama class was a whole different story. Merlin figured that he could read a few plays, act a few scenes and be done with it. But drama proved to be more embarrassing than he imagined painting would be. At least with painting, he knew he was good, but Merlin couldn’t act to save his life.

The assignment Mr. Kilgharrah had given to the class was to write their own monologues. Merlin was good at writing, so he figured he could breeze through this assignment. The problem was, he had forgotten about it right up until the moment before he opened the door to the classroom. Fantastic. Merlin frantically racked his brain for answers, but nothing was coming to mind. He could make something up on the spot, but Merlin was probably the worst at improv - ever. Merlin kept a journal, and he happened to have it on him; that would be fine. Right? He didn’t have to say it was a journal entry, he could lie. It was supposed to be fictional characters, right? It would have to do. Merlin ripped out a page from last week, thinking it was a page about his trip to the zoo with Will. He'd just change the name, and BAM! Monologue.

Mr. Kilgharrah announced that they would be performing in the theatre. They all gathered their things to move to the other room. Arthur caught Merlin’s arm before he had left. "What did you write yours about?" Merlin looked down at the grasp Arthur had on his elbow, then back at his friend.

"Um, you know, life." Arthur laughed. God, Merlin hated that laugh. It was such a perfect and beautiful laugh. Merlin didn’t like when Arthur was perfect and beautiful, it reminded him he was in love with him and Merlin hated thinking about that because it was the stupidest thing in the world to be in love with Arthur Pendragon.

"I can’t wait to hear it, M." Then Arthur jogged ahead to catch up to Gwaine. The two started talking quietly as they walked ahead. Merlin adjusted his backpack and followed with his head down trying not to listen and also trying to act as if he wasn’t trying specifically not to listen. Because he wasn’t listening. He was just walking.

Fucking Arthur was good at everything. Seriously. Anything Arthur tried his hand at, he was good at. And though he agreed to take this class with Merlin so that they could make fun of it the whole time, Arthur had gone and actually had a hidden talent and was now in the school play. Fucking typical. Arthur was the golden boy of the school. Everyone, even teachers, were all head over heels for Arthur Pendragon.

Once they had all found seats in the theater - Arthur sat right next to Merlin, brushing his arm lightly as he made himself comfortable - Mr. Kilgharrah told them the order they would go in. Merlin was first. Of fucking course he was. He hadn’t had time to read over his random page of his journal yet so he'd have to wing it. Mr. Kilgharrah had said it didn't need to be memorized (though it would be better if it was) so Merlin decided it didn’t matter if he just read it aloud. Merlin walked up to the stage, feeling shame spread from his cheeks down his neck. It was just a dumb project. Not anything to worry himself over. He glanced at the sheet of paper; it wasn't the page about the zoo, but it would have to do. Merlin hadn’t remembered exactly what he had written that day, but it was all supposed to be a made up character anyway. He decided to just go for it.

"He doesn't know what he does to me. No clue. He walks around like he owns the school, pretending that he could get whatever he wants because he can." Shit. Merlin had seriously picked the wrong page. But what could he do? He kept reading, hoping it was vague enough to pass for fiction. "It isn't really the pompous behavior I hate, it's everything. It's the way he smells, the way he breathes, the way he brushes my arm and goosebumps rise up all over me. He's a bit of a prat but... well, he has no idea what he does to me. He is just my friend. Just someone I know and tell all my secrets to. All but one. And he has no idea what he does to me. I love him, and he hasn't got a clue."

Merlin’s heart was pounding. He rushed off stage, hands shaking as he fumbled into the bathroom. Why didn't he just do the assignment like he was supposed to? Why didn’t he at least stay on stage so he didn’t look like a complete idiot up there? Why didn’t he… well, do anything differently!? Then he heard the door open before he saw Arthur standing behind him in the mirror. "What?" Merlin ask with thinly veiled embarrassment.

"Are you ill?” Arthur moved in to touch Merlin’s forehead. "You just looked as if you were going to throw up, and I thought maybe you were nervous."

"I," Merlin began pathetically, but gave up.

"I liked your monologue. Very cool, M." Arthur was being too nice. He wasn’t normally this nice. Of course he could manage niceness every now and again, but not like this. Arthur was  _ looking _ at him. Really looking hard at Merlin with concern, interest, and a bit of something else Merlin couldn’t exactly place. "Come back in, I'm performing after Gwaine. I want you to hear what I wrote."

Merlin swallowed back his curiosity and decided to focus on the way Arthur’s hand was gently pushing him out of the bathroom and into the hall and not at all on the way it made his stomach turn with pleasant uncomfortableness - which didn’t make any sense, really. When Arthur's hand left the small of his back, Merlin could feel the cold rush of air that replaced it. God, Arthur was a prat. A real prat. And he didn’t even know it. 

As they strolled back from backstage, Cenred was performing his monologue. Merlin didn’t think anything of it till he realized he had dropped his journal page on the stage. God, he really was an idiot. And oh shit… "He's not blond, he's the golden light from a sunbeam, lighting up all he touches. He's so goddamn gorgeous!" The other students were in hysterics. Mr. Kilgharrah was apparently gone or hadn’t realized what was happening. "Arthur frustrates me, yes, but he is my best friend and I couldn't imagine life without him." 

Merlin wanted desperately to sink back into the wall and disappear. He and Arthur were far enough back stage to remain unseen and Merlin intended to keep it that way. Arthur however stepped forward. "Excuse me," he said, plucking the paper from Cenred’s hand. I'd like to finish this monologue for you."

Oh fucking hell. To top off the entire class, and soon the entire school, knowing Merlin's feelings for his best friend, now Arthur was going to make fun of him for it too. He thought Arthur would have been above all that. Of course he was mean at times, but not cruel, not actually mean. He was supposed to be Merlin’s friend.

Arthur held out the paper and continued. "He is gorgeous. He doesn't know it, but he is. He thinks no one likes him because he is weird and talks about nonsense most of the time." Wait a second. Merlin didn’t write this. "But the truth is, people actually quite like him." Arthur dropped his hand that was holding Merlin’s journal entry and glanced at Merlin quick enough Merlin wasn’t sure it even happened. "He is probably the nicest person I know. It doesn't matter who you are, or even if he knows you, he would always help you. He has ears that make me want to giggle just looking at them. Everything about him makes me want to giggle like a small child with a crush. But it's more than a crush. God,  _ he _ doesn't know what he does to  _ me _ . He makes me crazy. I want to spend every waking second with him, but I have to settle with only about 80% of the time, and that doesn't include sleeping, which isn't enough." Then Arthur fully turned toward Merlin. He was frozen in place; nothing in the world could make him move at that moment. "Merlin is my best friend and I wish there was an easy way to just tell him I am in love with him."

Arthur… Fucking Arthur Pendragon. Did he just admit his feeling through dramatic monologue? Merlin could have stood there longer in disbelief, but his feet started moving him forward, and he didn’t try to stop it. The students were cooing and laughing as Merlin emerged from stage right. Without even a second thought Merlin rushed into Arthur’s arms and planted a wet sloppy kiss to his mouth. As far as kisses go, it was terrible, but it was probably Merlin’s favorite kiss of all time. In turn, Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin and spun him in the air. It was pretty dramatic, and Mr. Kilgharrah had lost all control of the class by then, but that was theater right? Expect the unexpected. Either way, Arthur and Merlin didn’t stop kissing till Mr. Kilgharrah himself came and pried them apart. They both got B's on the assignment, but Merlin had never been so proud of a grade in all his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh no! Not another high school AU! Oh but yes, yes. There it is. I’m sorry I’m not sorry, but I absolutely love them in high school. And I like it when they are friends and not enemies, because these two always really love each other. I hope you like it. Arthur is quite perfect.


End file.
